Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid and psychoactive stimulant, which can be found in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans as an ingredient in infusions extracted from the beans of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as an ingredient in various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut.
Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, always enjoy great popularity. However, due to health or other concerns, the number of consumers that avoid caffeine ingestion is significant. Therefore, there is a need for brewing decaffeinated beverages or beverage with a low caffeine content to meet various consumer requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,021 discloses an apparatus and a method for separating a charged substance, for example coffee molecules, from a conductive fluid, for example coffee, in which the conductive fluid is transported to a charged substance separation assembly where an electrostatic field is imposed to separate the charged substance from the fluid which passes through a porous separator and is collected.